The present invention relates to an automatic infusion-monitoring instrument, and more particularly to an infusion-monitoring instrument having a detecting unit mounted in a clip that is adapted to clamp on a flow-indicating cylinder of an infusion set for emitter and receiver of the detecting unit to locate at a position corresponding to a floater freely floating on a liquid level in the flow-indicating cylinder, and an alarm unit electrically connected to the detecting unit to emit warning signal when the liquid level and the floater are detected to lower and locate below the emitter and receiver.
An infusion set is frequently used in medical treatments and typically includes an infusion liquid container, a flow-indicating cylinder connected to a lower side of the liquid container, a liquid duct extended from a lower end of the flow-indicating cylinder, a flow regulator mounted on the liquid duct at an adequate position, and an injection needle connected to a free end of the liquid duct. Generally, a liquid level in the flow-indicating cylinder is observed from time to time in order to timely find out whether an infusion liquid is running out, so that the flow regulator could be timely shut off to prevent the patient""s blood from undesirably flowing into the injection needle and the liquid duct. Such manual observation of the liquid level in the flow-indicating cylinder from time to time causes considerable inconvenience to the patient, the attendant family and the nurse.
There has been developed different electronic instruments to control the time, dosage and flow of an infusion. However, these electronic instruments normally have big volume and high manufacturing cost, and are usually employed only in infusion for special medical treatments in which time, dosage and flow of infusion need special control. These bulky and expensive instruments for electronically controlling infusion are therefore not widely employed in general infusions for general medical treatments.
There is also developed an automatic infusion-monitoring instrument that includes a sensing element being inserted into the infusion liquid container to direct contact with the infusion liquid. The sensing element is provided with a trigger point that is electrically connected to a sensing circuit and an alarm. This type of automatic infusion-monitoring instrument is very expensive and is not disposable to meet the hygienic requirement. Moreover, the sensing element tends to pierce through an infusion liquid container in the form of a plastic bag.
It is therefore desirable to develop an improved automatic infusion-monitoring instrument to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an automatic infusion-monitoring instrument that enables electronic monitoring of infusion liquid level in the flow-indicating cylinder to timely emit a signal to an attendant or nurse as a warning of an empty infusion liquid container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic infusion-monitoring instrument that has simple structure to meet the economical principle and the hygienic requirement.
To achieve the above and other objects, the automatic infusion-monitoring instrument of the present invention mainly includes a clip adapted to clamp a flow-indicating cylinder of an infusion set corresponding to a liquid level in the cylinder that keeps unchanged when there is sufficient amount of infusion liquid in the infusion set, a floater pre-disposed in the flow-indicating cylinder to move upward and downward along with the liquid level in the flow-indicating cylinder, a detecting unit having an emitter and a receiver mounted in the clip to normally face the floater, and an alarm unit electrically connected to the detecting unit via a conducting wire. When the liquid level in the flow-indicating cylinder lowers so that the floater is moved to locate below the emitter and the receiver and no longer blocks wave emitted from the emitter, the alarm unit is actuated to emit sound, voice, light or flash as a warning signal of running-out infusion liquid.
The clip can be easily operated and repeatedly used while the floater is disposable, allowing the automatic infusion-monitoring instrument of the present invention to be economical and practical for use.